8 Unbreakable Tiger Woods Records That Show Why He’s The G.O.A.T.

It’s hard to appreciate the impact Tiger Woods managed to have on golf if you don’t remember the state of the sport prior to his meteoric rise, but there’s a reason he’s firmly considered the greatest of all time. The legend has set plenty of records during a lengthy career that’s technically still ongoing, but there are some that stand out from the rest of the pack while highlighting his dominance in his prime.

At this point, Tiger Woods is firmly in the twilight of his career, and while history has taught us it’s foolish to ever count him out, it’s a bit hard to imagine he’s going to stage a dramatic comeback as he nears his 50th birthday.

With that said, he doesn’t really have anything left to prove, and the records he set that will likely never be beaten show why that’s the case.

Most Consecutive Weeks At No. 1 In The World—281

In September 2004,  Vijay Singh surpassed Tiger Woods for the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking to snap a then-record streak of 264 weeks that stretched back to 1999.

The two men spent a few months battling for the top spot before Tiger ended up back at No. 1 a week before the U.S. Open in 2005. That marked the start of an even more impressive run, as he stayed there until Lee Westwood dethroned him in October 2010 to end his 281-week reign.

Most Overall Weeks At No. 1 In The World—683

Tiger spent a grand total of 545 weeks at No. 1 during those two impressive runs, but he had a number of shorter stints that led to him occupying the top position for a grand total of 683 weeks.

To put things in perspective, Greg Norman holds the second spot on that list with a relatively paltry 331, while Dustin Johnson (135), Rory McIlroy (122), and Nick Faldo (97) round out the top five.

Most Consecutive Cuts Made—142

Tiger missed the cut for the first time in his professional career at the Canadian Open in 1997, but this streak technically began at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines in 1998 due to his decision to withdraw from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after two rounds the previous week.

Woods would earn the right to play during the weekend for more than seven years, as he made the cut at 142 consecutive tournaments before hitting a snag at the Byron Nelson Championship in 2005 after missing a 15-foot par putt that put him a single stroke below the qualifying line.

Interestingly enough, Byron Nelson was the man who held the record before Tiger broke it, as he made the cut 113 times in a row (although it’s worth noting he played during a time when that label applied to golfers who finished in the Top 20).

Largest Margin Of Victory At The Masters—12 Strokes

Tiger turned pro in 1996 and already had three victories under his belt by the time he arrived at Augusta National for The Masters in 1997.

If golf fans weren’t familiar with him at that point, they certainly were when the tournament wrapped up, as the 21-year-old coasted to victory by shooting -18 over four days to give him a 12-stroke margin of victory over second-place finisher Tom Kite.

Jack Nicklaus had previously set the mark to beat by topping Arnold Palmer and Gary Player by nine strokes in 1965, and Woods is still the only person who’s won The Masters by double digits.

Largest Margin Of Victory At The U.S. Open (And Any Major)—15 Strokes

Tiger outdid himself a few years later when the U.S. Open was held at Pebble Beach in 2000, as he pulled out to a one-stroke lead by shooting -6 in the first round and never looked back while going wire-to-wire.

By the time play wrapped up on Sunday, Woods was sitting at -12 and was the only player to finish under par; Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Ernie Els tied for second at +3, and the 15-stroke margin not only set the U.S. Open record but remains the most dominant victory to transpire at any of the four majors.

Most Wins On A Single Course—8

Before Tiger came along, Jack Nicklaus, Alex Ross, and Sam Snead were tied for the most wins at a single course with the six they respectively had at Augusta National, Pinehurst No. 2, and Bayshore Country Club.

Woods not only broke the record with eight but did so at three different places, as he notched professional victories at Torrey Pines, Bay Hill, and Firestone Country Club.

Most World Golf Championships—18

This one will truly never be beaten when you consider the World Golf Championship (which got off the ground in 1999) ceased to exist in 2023.

Tiger officially earned 18 victories on that particular circuit when it was active, which is three times as many as the six Dustin Johnson racked up to finish with the all-time silver medal.

Most PGA Tour Victories—82

This one does come with an asterisk, as Tiger is currently tied with Sam Snead when it comes to the most PGA Tour victories a golfer has managed to rack up during their career.

There’s always a chance Woods is able to get one last win to become the sole owner of first place, and there’s little doubt the chance to overtake Snead is at the back of his mind as he continues to grapple with the injuries that derailed his career.

However, it’s pretty safe to assume we won’t see another person come close to sniffing that number when you consider Rory McIlroy is currently closest among other active players…with 26.